My custom taillights

[cnunes]

Hello HybridZ,

 

I've been a member for a long time, always reading and learning, but today I finally decided to share something I made with all of you.

 

About a year ago, I had the idea to replace the stock 280z taillights with six round lights per side, in a 3 over 3 configuration. I'd already rewired the brakes to light up both the upper and lower red lenses with the turn signals moved to the clear reverse light housing using amber bulbs all in preparation for this...I wanted a sort of jet fighter plane look. The lenses are simply trailer lights with the backs drilled off, and I dismantled the stock finishing bezel and cut a piece of plastic to fit where the chrome-like surround once was, then I epoxy'd that in and added bondo to smooth it out before painting. The hardest part was removing the stock lenses from the housing so I could bolt it all back together. Note to self: dremel and plastic do not mix.

 

Anyway, it was a lot of work (my first time working with plastic, epoxy and bondo) and I may have to further modify the stock housing by adding a few more LED bulbs to even out the dispersement of light across all six lenses, but I wanted a unique look for the Z and this is a start.

 

Please tell me what you all think of the new taillights!

 

First pic is daylight just after the install.

Second pic is straight on shot.

Third is with the lights on.

Fourth is with the brakes.

And final shot is with the right blinker on.

Edited October 4, 2010 by cnunes

[280z06]

Looks good man! How long did that take? You gunna shave the rear smooth? Also will you convert over to fuel cell or make some protection for your gas tank? I too have taken off the park bench of my 280 and worry about soccer moms in their SUV's ramming into me.

[GOTHALOSISM]

That is definatley different and I sort of like it.

 

I think they would look even better if they were "tinted" to fit in with the black panel

Edited October 4, 2010 by GOTHALOSISM

[cnunes]

Thanks for all the positive feedback, everyone!

 

Yes, I do plan to eventually fill the holes and smooth the rear panel underneath the lights, but I'll actually need to learn how to weld first and bodywork is currently beyond my skill-level. I don't believe in spending money to get a body shop to do it until after I swap out the engine, so the new paintjob and everthing that comes with that will just have to wait.

 

I'm also thinking of installing two round reverse lights directly below the license plate as well for safety. Not too worried about the gas tank though; if I'm rearended, I figure that'd be the least of my worries, but maybe I'm just being blissfully ignorant.

 

Tinted tails is a good idea that I considered, but I think that'd look better if the round lights were recessed (frenched) instead of protruding beyond the bezel. My two cents.

 

Process itself took more hours than I really want to count, but I was learning and doing this in my spare time after work and on weekends...here's how I did it in case anyone else wants to try something similar:

 

First step was removing the taillights from the car.

Then I removed the stock housing and reinstalled that on the car so I could still drive it (legally). Didn't look bad actually; note the original army green paint.

Next step was dismantling the bezel and removing the chrome-like lens surrounds.

I made a paper template before cutting the plastic to fit.

Test fit of the plastic which was later epoxy'd into place.

Had to pre-install the lenses to see what it'd look like!

Bondo'd the gaps to make a smooth transition. In retrospect, Bondo did not adhere well to the plastic, but it sanded down pretty smooth. More sanding might've gotten it perfect, but my sanding was already starting to eat into the plastic...again this was a learning experience.

Painted.

While I waited for the paint to dry, I drilled out the backs of the trailer lights.

Finishing bezel all done! I was so excited to get this on the car.

Removed the stock lens housings from the car and tried prying off the lenses, dremeling them, and finally resorted to smashing them out with a hammer which was actually kind of fun. Note the carnage in the background.

And then reattached the stock taillight housing to the modified finishing bezel and bolted back to the car. Piece of cake!

Edited October 5, 2010 by cnunes

[xShodaimex]

This is awesome. I was planing on doing something like this aswell. How about a video of it w/ signal light functioning?

[B00STDZ]

As for the lenses.

 

Bake them in the oven on WARM for about 5-10 minutes... then try prying off the lens. It should pop off no problem.

[zsteelman]

What type of wheels are on your car? I believe I have the same type and not sure what they are as all of the lettering has been worn off, I need to get another centercap for them.

 

Love the lights by the way, you might want to try Nightshades for the tinting of the lights if you decided to go that route. Also, a thin layer bondo or a layer of fiberglass over that piece of plastic will make the lines fade from the plastic piece that you used. Great Job.

[cnunes]

Thanks again for the replies and B00STDZ for the great tip about lens removal. Why didn't I think of that? The heat should soften the glue sufficiently...

 

xShodaimex, I'll have to get a video of the turn signals for you; I'm pretty proud of how that simple rewire turned out..uh, no pun intended. Even if you have stock taillight lenses, you can then light up twice the area of the brake lights which to me is a huge safety mod. After I shave the rear, I'll probably bust out the hole saw and cut out spots for reverse lights.

 

And zsteelman, the centercaps on the wheels have an "A" if that helps, but I don't know the brand. They're heavy steel and I hate them. They're lug-centric and since the holes are larger than my studs, you kinda have to lift the wheel a bit to get the lugs to slip into the holes which is a pain on Autocross days when I swap on the race wheels and R-comps. I do like how these wheels look on the car especially with the white letter radial BFGs, but I'm craving some 16x8 Sportmax XXR 002's some day when the budget allows.

[zsteelman]

Thanks, my car is the same color and same wheels, I also like the look but will probably replace them with some 4 lug mustang wheels to get a bigger tire under the car.

 

I haven't tried to take the wheels over yet as I am fixing some rust issues and the car is on dollies. If you decide to get rid of the wheels or just the centercaps I might be interested.